County school board appoints Woodward High School principal 

Positions also filled at Pyle Middle, Cloverly Elementary

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June 5, 2026 11:41 a.m.

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The Montgomery County school board unanimously approved several appointments at its Thursday meeting, including a principal for the newly built Charles W. Woodward High School in Rockville.  

The school board approved a recommendation to appoint Robert Sinclair Jr., a consulting principal with Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), as the principal of Woodward High on Thursday. The Rockville building serves as the holding school for Northwood High while the Silver Spring campus is being rebuilt and will open August 2027. According to his LinkedIn profile, Sinclair is also an adjunct professor in educational leadership at Hood College in Frederick. 

Sinclair has served in MCPS for more than 25 years, starting as a math teacher in 1998 then becoming a resource teacher and later a middle school assistant principal in 2005, according to his LinkedIn. 

Kristi McAleese was appointed to serve as the principal of Thomas W. Pyle Middle School in Bethesda. McAleese has served as a substitute, paraeducator, teacher, acting and assistant principal. She is currently the principal of Earle B. Woods Middle School in Rockville, according to the meeting. McAleese has been with MCPS for 16 years, according to the meeting.  

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The school board also approved a recommendation to appoint Kristinae Spurling as the principal of Cloverly Elementary School in Silver Spring. According to the meeting, Spurling has been with MCPS for 26 years as a teacher, content specialist and assistant principal. She is a principal intern at Highland Elementary in Silver Spring.  

Tracy Tibbs was appointed to serve as the principal of Clarksburg Elementary, after serving as a teacher and most recently an assistant principal at Falls Meade Elementary in Rockville. Tibbs has been working for MCPS for 20 years, according to the meeting.  

The school board approved Troy Todd for the position of principal at Arcola Elementary School in Silver Spring. Todd has worked with Howard County Public Schools for 20 years, in the classroom and in administrative work.  

Veneth Waters, an educator with 14 years of experience, was also approved Tuesday. She served as substitute teacher, assistant principal and more recently as a principal intern  at Stedwick Elementary School in Montgomery Village.  

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Originally published at Bethesdamagazine